Fall River council finally OKs North Park improvements; city won't resort to bond funding

Friday

Apr 11, 2014 at 9:41 PMApr 11, 2014 at 9:50 PM

The third go-around was a charm for North Park supporters when the City Council approved funding for upgrades, including an inclusion playground, on Tuesday, but this time the city won’t be going for a new bond to fund the project.

Jo C. Goode Herald News Staff Reporter @jgoodeHN

FALL RIVER — The third go-around was a charm for North Park supporters when the City Council approved funding for upgrades, including an inclusion playground, on Tuesday, but this time the city won’t be going for a new bond to fund the project.

North Park is one of a number of the city’s parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City.

“I personally consider our Olmsted parks works of art in our city, and I want to thank the City Council for voting for this,” said Sandy Dennis, coordinator of the Fall River Parks Advocates.

In December, the previous council tabled a request from the administration for a $527,000 loan order, and the new council again tabled the request in January.

This time, Mayor Will Flanagan came back with a plan that the money would be authorized from the balance of proceeds left over from the construction of the Morton Middle School.

In a letter to the council, Flanagan reasoned that since the park is used by the middle school students for physical education on a regular basis, school bond money could be used for park improvements.

The city received a $169,752 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the project, which the city nearly lost because of the City Council’s delay.

It would have been a second grant lost for park improvements, Dennis said.

In January, councilors used the loan request for the park as a platform to blast Flanagan’s administration for excessive borrowing and debt.

Saying North Park was in “deplorable condition,” Dennis said the first priority of the project is the construction of the handicapped-accessible playground. He said the second priority is the stadium seating.

Plans are underway to place the park in conservancy, Dennis said. While the city will still own North Park, placing it in conservancy will allow for more grant opportunities and capital campaigns.

“This will take the pressure off the city for maintenance and improvements to the park,” Dennis said.

It will be the first park in the city to be placed in conservancy, she said.

Southcoast Health System has adopted the park, and Dennis said her group can tap their resources for additional funding.

Additional improvements to the park include work on its pathways and the installation of benches and fencing around the park.